Chapter 19 - Parental Visit
Parental Visit
Translator : Elizabeth
"Ugh, ugh..."
4th floor of Sungjin Mental Hospital.
With all Anomalies gone now, Shin Hae-in sent all remaining survivors to the lobby entrance and was formulating an escape route with an injured agent.
"Th, Thank you..."
"Don't mention it."
The person she is supporting is the Team Leader of Team B who entered the ward with her.
A talent deployed here with the purpose of rescuing survivors just like her, and—
He said he tried to end his life himself after writing his last will on the gallery, but reinforcements arrived just in time.
"Are the remaining agents alive?"
"No. All were dragged away by nurses long ago. Probably..."
"Understood."
"...Thanks to you, I lived."
The two walked the empty hospital hallway.
Originally, they should figure out the movement paths of nurses patrolling the surroundings and move carefully, but—
Don't know what happened, but ending with a sudden broadcast, all Anomalies flocked into 'Basement 3rd Floor'.
"....."
Simultaneously with such thoughts, Shin Hae-in couldn't help but recall the tiny Anomaly that helped her until just now.
'Surely.'
Shin Hae-in thought of a nonsensical assumption.
"...By any chance, did Team Leader also hear the announcement broadcast?"
"Yeah, it was a phenomenon I experienced for the first time in my life. Didn't know those crazy things did something like a public surgery on Basement 3rd Floor."
Just what is happening there.
Even with the information she acquired at the Administration Bureau, she hadn't heard of them doing such surgery announcement broadcasts here.
Perhaps, all this might be related to that 'Peculiar Anomaly'.
"...."
Dangerous curiosity kept raising its head, but Shin Hae-in was an Awakener and agent who knew very well what to prioritize.
"Let's get out of this dog-like place first, and, ugh..."
The Team Leader groaned blocking the wound on his abdomen.
Fortunately not a fatal wound, but not a degree to neglect like this either.
"Yes."
Therefore, the two hurried their steps to escape from this Anomaly even a moment sooner.
From 3rd floor to 2nd floor, and from 1st floor to the lobby.
One step.
If they go just a little further, they complete the mission in this hell-like place and return to the Administration Bureau.
Hope that they can live dwelled in both their eyes.
'Just a little more...!'
Finally, the handle of the main gate came into Shin Hae-in's grasp.
Pulling the handle containing desperation. Just with that, the two's escape plan was about to be completed.
Rattle.
"Ah."
Until the door she tried to pull was rather dragged, dragged out to the opposite side.
Then why did the door open to the opposite side?
The answer is, because someone pulled the door toward themselves faster than Shin Hae-in.
'Who?'
Chasing the unknown existence who suddenly visited the hospital, Shin Hae-in and the Team Leader's gazes headed beyond the door.
"Ah."
And they witnessed.
'Something' that shouldn't be here.
"Ah?"
At the point where the Anomalies that could be called everything in Sungjin Mental Hospital were about to go berserk.
I lifted my head sharply at a very familiar voice.
The owner of the voice that made my shoulders flinch the moment I heard it, but soon made wariness disappear like melting snow and made me want to find the source.
And, someone was standing there.
"Uh?"
Who are you?
Clearly it was the presence of our Daycare Director I heard in the Daycare, but the one standing there... just who is it?
Pretty features settled daintily on white skin, with long black straight hair suiting her very well.
What I expected was the Director with a very scary form with eyes sewn shut, but a supreme beauty noona was standing at the entrance with hands gathered leisurely.
"Eh?"
Screeeeeech!
Before I could express doubt, the hospital Anomalies who noticed the intruder's existence rushed at her simultaneously.
"....!"
Danger—
The space where the questionable existence stood leisurely just a moment ago was blocked densely due to Anomalies flocking from all directions.
Crunch!
And even sounds filled with malice added to it.
"That is..."
The Doctor, facing the 'abnormality' that happened just now like me, muttered as if possessed.
"Just what is it? Just where did such a terrible existence come here—"
Cr-r-runch!
From the center of the Anomaly aggregate that flocked like a ball, an ominous sound rang out once.
Turning my gaze, tearing and clawing forcibly through the gap of Anomalies and coming out—
I could see an arm of a very familiar form.
Blackly dead skin, twisted joints, even abnormally long length.
"Uh-uh-uh!"
That is correct. It's the Director's arm I know...?!
Wait, then what was that noona I saw earlier?
"Hmm, hmm hmm hmm."
Clearly the one dangerously surrounded first would have been the Director Teacher's side, but the atmosphere was still flowing in a strange direction.
Instinct explains ahead of reason.
That the initiative of the current situation is with the intruder who struck this Anomaly.
Crunch!
Once again.
Kwa-a-a-ang!
As the bizarre and huge arm that came out swung once, nurses and patients clumped in all directions burst out at once.
Splatter!
"Ah."
I wiped the thing splattered on my cheek instinctively.
Blood.
"Uek."
Whether patient's or nurse's, liquid of unknown origin dyes the white cavity red in an instant.
And the center.
The owner of the Anomaly who presented overwhelming fear to me at the very beginning, was looking at me with disheveled hair, fixing gaze straight on me.
「▶ The entity in question is showing favorable emotions toward you. It seems to remember the memories built previously.」
R, Right...!
We built up a lot of affection, right...?! I put a flower crown on your head directly too, yeah...!
If you go to the cafeteria I cooked rice too, if you go to the bathroom I gave warm water too.
We were good in the Daycare...!
Tremble tremble tremble!
Apart from such thoughts, emotion based on instinct kept making my two legs tremble dall dall dall.
'So, you won't attack me, right...?'
"Hmm hmm~"
Smiling, you are smiling right? You answered right...?!
Unraveling such a desperate heart, I looked back at the Doctor in a sudden situation state in front for now.
"Ah..."
Toward the Doctor making a despondent sound looking at the active Daycare Director—
I approach one step closer.
'This patient gown.'
This is the Doctor's.
Just as I gifted the children's flower crown to the Director in the Daycare, there was a need to deliver his item to the Anomaly in front of me too.
Ding!
「▶ Deliver the 'Bloodstained Patient Gown (B)' to the entity, 'The Doctor'. (Incomplete)」
'Comes out fast too...!'
Up to here is also a familiar aspect with the situation I knew.
"Uiek...!"
Ignoring the lumps of flesh and blood splattering here and there in present progressive form with effort, I go to the Doctor—
"You, what are you doing to my patients!!"
"Huh?"
In an instant, the Doctor's figure disappeared from in front of me.
Boom!
When I checked the existence again, he was confronting the Director with gestures containing very much anger.
"Uh, uh uh uh?!"
W, Wait. Have to give this...?!
「▶ The entity in question seems to have something he wants to say to the 'Daycare Director'.」
'Shut up!'
Another sudden situation occurrence following sudden situation occurrence.
The huge saw swings widely, then advances toward the Director's neck as is.
"Hmm?"
The Director, confirming the existence belatedly, takes eyes off me.
Whoosh.
Stopped that huge blade in mid-air through intangible energy.
"Uh, what...!"
The flustered Doctor tried to widen the distance, but our Director is not one to watch that scene quietly.
Grab.
The Director, already grabbing his body firmly with one arm, tilted her head and brought her terrible(?) face close to him.
What?! Super strong! Why is our Director so cool?!
Is this the reassurance when a strong person who was an enemy becomes an ally.
Showing activity of that level, I never imagined.
That an entity residing in an F-Rank Anomaly overwhelms even against the owner entity of a B-Rank Anomaly!
"W, Waaaaah!"
I ended up showing an excited reaction like a child at that attractive and pure difference in power.
"Hot."
This, shouldn't be like this.
Big trouble. If left in that state, the Doctor might become Doctor / Teacher (split in half).
"Di, Directoooor!"
Taking advantage of the gap becoming quiet, I moved my legs hurriedly and ran to where she caught the Doctor.
"N, No!"
"Hmm?"
"Director, wait, heuk, wait...! Pant."
Tat-tat.
Why are there so many stairs again, and why is the space so uselessly huge again.
It's a truly violent sense of distance with this tiny, small body.
With breath rising to under my chin, I barely approached the Director.
"Let go! I said let go...!"
Giving a glance once to the Doctor caught in that ominous grip, I looked at the Director hurriedly.
"Di, Director, no...!"
"...."
"I, I can do it. Please let me do it."
I shook the patient gown held in my hand desperately, reminding her of our memories.
Director also received something similar like this, we were good...!
Even with the heart hoping she would please recall, I hoped she would grant mercy to the Doctor.
Like that—
Slide.
The eye level of the Doctor held in the hand comes down to a place similar to me soon.
It was thanks to the Director's consideration changing her mind due to my effort.
"Thank... Thank youuuu...?!"
Ah bit my tongue.
In the pain spreading stingingly inside my mouth, somehow after conveying thanks to the Director.
I looked at the Doctor held in that hand.
"Doctor..."
"What... What are you doing...!"
Toward the Doctor struggling caught in the grip, I brought the patient gown I was holding close.
Whoosh...
Momentarily, wind brushes past between us two, conveying a bizarre sensation.
"Ah."
The Doctor facing the patient gown standing close lowered his gaze and looked at it.
"Stop, it's noisy. My surgery was perfect. Didn't you guys also say thank you to me...!"
In the center of the space covered in blood and lumps of meat, the Doctor started muttering alone as if hearing auditory hallucinations.
"So, please. Please..."
Hospital, patient, black curse, and hell.
The Doctor, not yet free from the grudges of the past, appeals to me.
"Please let me go, stop."
No. Not words to me.
"...."
This is a desperate heart toward patients and nurses he couldn't save, those who lost their lives in the hospital.
The Doctor whose memory part surfaced was in pain.
"Sorry, I'm sorry. Back then... sorry for not treating you...! The door, closed so I couldn't save you. Because the disease permeated into all of us... Ugh!"
Crack!
Suddenly, Anomalies sprawled covered in blood raised their bodies.
Even though in a messed-up state, glaring at me and the Director with the madness in eyes not setting.
"Ah... Still."
I looked up at my guardian and helper, the Director, instinctively.
"Ah?"
However, even though all of them are approaching gradually—
The Director took no action.
As if, she already knows what will happen in the future.
Click.
One of the gathered Anomalies, a Nurse entity comes forward one step.
That gaze was no longer heading to me and the Director.
To the Doctor groaning holding his head—
Slide.
She only handed something over.
"Ah..."
The Doctor receiving it blankly looks into his hand.
Small candy.
Treatment item I also received, said to be given only to kind people by the Nurse.
"....!"
Only then belatedly, I realized that what dwelt in the Nurse's eyes was not madness.
She was smiling.
Other entities were also all smiling.
Not artificial smiles, but natural smiles to express that it's okay to the Doctor sincerely.
"Aaaaaah...!"
Long ago.
A man who couldn't protect his patients eventually collapsed in place.
Ding!
「Quest complete.」
「▶ Deliver 'Bloodstained Patient Gown (B)' to the Doctor (Complete)」
Swoosh...!
The forms of Anomalies disappear.
Scattering into bright light clusters from the toes.
Forgiving the Doctor until the last, they left the spot.
Inside the bright light cluster—
"Sniff."
Since I was also feeling part of their emotions, not even thinking to wipe tears leaking out unknowingly, I saw them off blankly.
"Hmm~"
Touch sweeping my cheek.
"Eh?"
Our Director.
The mysterious figure turned into a pretty beauty again was standing there.